Access2EIC

✨ The journey begins! The EIC Women Leadership Programme 2026 announced the women entrepreneurs that will join this year's mentoring activities. Over the next few months, they'll work alongside dedicated mentors to strengthen their leadership, overcome challenges, and take their ventures to the next level. Meet the inspiring entrepreneurs leading the way. #EICWomenLeadershipProgramme #EIC

🚀 Great news for Europe's deep-tech ecosystem! The EIC - European Innovation Council has selected a new cohort of companies for STEP Scale Up investments, with up to €30 million in equity per company to help transform breakthrough innovations into global success stories. A strong step towards strengthening Europe's competitiveness and supporting the next generation of technology leaders. Congratulations to the selected scale-ups! 👏 📅 Next cut-off is 9 September 2026 (17:00 Brussels time). The call remains continuously open, with quarterly evaluation sessions. For more information do not forget to contact your local NCP. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d_BN6nPU #EIC #STEPScaleUp #DeepTech #Innovation #ScaleUps #HorizonEurope

🚀 The 2026 EIC Pathfinder Challenges are now open! A new funding opportunity is available for visionary, high-risk, high-impact research projects with the potential to create breakthrough technologies and shape the future of Europe. The 2026 EIC Pathfinder Challenges focus on tackling ambitious scientific and technological challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration and bold ideas. These year's challenges are: ⚡ Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems 🧬 Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing 🤖 DeepRAP: Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning towards trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems If you're part of a research institution, university, startup, SME, or innovation ecosystem working on transformative solutions, this is an excellent opportunity to explore. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dd-5HNHG #EIC #EICPathfinder #Challenges

🚀 Excited to share the publication of the Access2EIC 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗜𝗖 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲! Preparing a competitive 𝗘𝗜𝗖 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 is about much more than filling in a template—it's about building a convincing innovation journey from research results to market impact. This newly released guide provides practical annotations, expert recommendations, and valuable insights to help applicants better understand the expectations behind each proposal section, from 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 and 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 to 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. What makes this publication particularly valuable is the collective expertise behind it. Developed through the Access2EIC project, it reflects the knowledge, practical experience, and close collaboration of the European network of 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝗡𝗖𝗣𝘀). By working together, NCPs transform years of supporting applicants into 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 that helps innovators navigate one of Europe's most competitive funding programmes. This is a great example of how the NCP network goes beyond advisory services—co-creating practical tools that strengthen the European innovation ecosystem and improve applicants' chances of success. Whether you're an SME, startup, research organisation, University, to apply to the EIC Transition call, this resource can help you: 👉 Better structure your proposal 👉 Avoid common pitfalls 👉 Strengthen your business and technology narrative 👉 Increase the clarity and credibility of your application Discovere the A2eic Transition Annotated Template here https://lnkd.in/de-PJArc Congratulations to all colleagues across the Access2EIC consortium who contributed to this outstanding collaborative effort! #EIC #EICTransition #HorizonEurope #Access2EIC #NCP #Innovation #DeepTech #ResearchToMarket #EUFunding European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)

🚀 Europe’s innovation landscape continues to evolve.🚀 The latest 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 shows that EU innovation performance has increased by 12.6 percentage points since 2018, highlighting the positive impact of investment in research, technology, and innovation across Member States. At the same time, the results remind us that strengthening 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 requires continuous effort and collaboration. Sweden returns as the EU’s top innovator, while several countries have significantly improved their performance over the past years, demonstrating that innovation ecosystems can grow rapidly with the right policies, talent, and investment. As 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 faces major transitions—from digitalisation and AI to sustainability and strategic autonomy—innovation remains one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth, resilience, and global leadership. 📊 Explore the full 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮5 and discover how countries are performing: https://lnkd.in/d5kxRP-S #Innovation #EuropeanInnovationScoreboard #ResearchAndInnovation #EIC #DeepTech #Technology #Competitiveness #EUInnovation #Startups #Scaleups #Research #DigitalTransformation

🚀 The new #EUEIC STEP Defence Scale Up call is now open! 🔹 €10–30 million in equity investment per company 🔹 Target funding rounds of €50–150+ million 🔹 Private investment commitment required This is a major opportunity for ambitious European defence innovators looking to scale breakthrough technologies and accelerate growth. 📅 Application deadline: 28 October 2026 Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eR7qiYPF

💡 Europe’s energy resilience will be built through innovation.💡 The latest 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 from the #EIC 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 sends a clear message: Europe’s competitive advantage in 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 will come from its ability to scale and deploy its own deep tech innovations faster. 💥 From clean energy generation and storage to advanced materials, hydrogen, grid technologies, and supply chain resilience, 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 solutions already exist across Europe’s innovation ecosystem. 💥Today, the challenge is no longer only about innovation—it is about accelerating industrial deployment and market adoption. The #EIC 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 highlights the need for continuous funding across the 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, simplified regulations, faster permitting processes, stronger industrial demand, and closer collaboration between innovators, investors, industry leaders, and policymakers. 💥With more than half of the EU’s energy consumption still dependent on imported fossil fuels, strengthening 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 has become a pressing priority. At the same time, this challenge represents a unique opportunity to build 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 and 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. Encouragingly, nearly 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗘𝗜𝗖-𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 companies are already developing transformative solutions across 12 areas of the energy value chain, demonstrating the depth of Europe’s innovation potential. 👉 Now is the time to turn innovation excellence into industrial impact. Read the full statament here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gZD6KBri #EIC #DeepTech #EnergyTransition #EnergyResilience #Innovation #CleanTech #EuropeanInnovation #ScaleUp #StrategicAutonomy #FutureOfEnergy Paolo Bondavalli Michiel Scheffer 🇪🇺

Are you working on innovation and thinking about how to protect and commercialise your results? 🤔 The European IP Helpdesk has you covered with a new set of practical webinars designed to help you strengthen your IP strategy and maximise impact. 🚀 📌 Protect your IP in health technology: Focus on robotics and health appliances 👉 In collaboration with EPO 📅 24 June 2026 | 🕥 10:30 (CET) 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/ddSAFdB9 📌 IP rights for deep tech businesses - IP strategy day 👉 In collaboration with EPO & EIC 📅 25 June 2026 | 🕥 14:00 (CET) 🔗 Register here before 24/06: https://lnkd.in/dk8TjVKA 📌 IP rights for deep tech businesses - IP management day 👉 In collaboration with EPO & EIC 📅 26 June 2026 | 🕥 9:00 (CET) 🔗 Register here before 24/06: https://lnkd.in/dGWRk5xB These sessions are especially valuable for innovators and researchers looking to better understand how IP can support commercialisation, AI-driven innovation, and market entry strategies. #IntellectualProperty #IPManagement European Patent Office

🇪🇺 What an intense and inspiring week in Paris for the Access2EIC team! 🇪🇺 Over the past few days, we had the privilege of engaging with key players across Europe's innovation ecosystem through a series of high-level events dedicated to deep tech, scale-up financing, and the future of European competitiveness. 🎬 We began the week at the French EIC Accelerator Info Day 2026, hosted by Bpifrance, where startups, SMEs, investors, policymakers, National Contact Points, and EIC representatives gathered to discuss the future of European innovation funding. 🎤 As part of the programme, Access2EIC contributed to a panel discussion entitled “𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐈𝐂: 𝐍𝐂𝐏𝐬' 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕”, exploring how National Contact Points can strengthen the innovation journey from national support schemes to European funding and investment opportunities. The discussion highlighted several key themes: the growing role of NCPs as ecosystem connectors, the importance of building structured innovation pipelines, investor readiness, the potential of the Plugin Scheme, and the opportunities offered by the future European Competitiveness Fund. One message stood out throughout the session: EIC success does not start with proposal submission — it starts within national innovation ecosystems. 🎬 The week continued with the Access2EIC NCP Training organised in collaboration with Bpifrance. During two intensive and highly interactive days, EIC National Contact Points exchanged experiences and best practices, visited the renowned Agoranov incubator, engaged with innovative startups, and deepened their understanding of the EIC STEP Scale Up initiative through direct exchanges with EIC Board representatives, jury members, and successful STEP laureates. 🎬We also joined the vibrant discussions at VivaTech participating in a Bpifrance session together with Michiel Scheffer 🇪🇺 President of the EIC Board, focused on how Europe can better support the growth of strategic technologies, strengthen its technological sovereignty, and accelerate the emergence of global champions. A big thank you to all speakers, participants, partners, entrepreneurs, NCPs, and EIC representatives for the inspiring exchanges throughout the week. 👉 One key message emerged from all discussions: Europe's innovation future relies on stronger links between local ecosystems, European funding opportunities, and scale-up investment. We are proud that Access2EIC helps foster these connections across the European innovation landscape. #Access2EIC #EIC #EICAccelerator #EICSTEPScaleUp #FP10 #HorizonEurope #DeepTech #Innovation #StartupEurope #ScaleUp #EuropeanCompetitiveness #NCPs #EuropeanInnovation #VivaTech #TechForEurope

🚀 A major shift in Europe’s innovation landscape🚀 The European Innovation Council (EIC) has officially opened its funding to defence and dual-use technologies—marking a significant evolution in EU innovation policy. For the first time, EIC instruments such as the 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞-𝐔𝐩 will support startups and SMEs developing technologies with both 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 applications—from 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬. 💡 Key highlights: 👉 Grants up to €2.5M and equity investments up to €30M 👉 Launch of a new €100M EIC STEP Defence Scale-Up call 👉 Direct equity investment in defence companies — a first at EU level This move responds to Europe’s growing need to strengthen its technological sovereignty and security, while supporting the scale-up of strategic deep-tech innovations. 🔎 Applications for the new defence scale-up call open from 𝟑𝟎 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟖 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. A clear signal that the EU is ready to back next-generation innovators at the intersection of deep tech, security, and strategic autonomy. 👉 Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/egVPTANM #EIC #EUFunding #DeepTech #DefenceTech #DualUse #Innovation #ScaleUp #Startups #EUInnovation European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)